From Literature to Folklore: The Popularization of The 100 Poets in Early Modern Japan

In contemporary Folklore Studies, the distinction between elite “literature” and popular “folklore” is axiomatic. This talk challenges this distinction, examining the popularization of the famous Japanese poetry anthology, One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each, during the early modern period (1600-1868) in print culture.

Joshua Mostow is a Professor in the Department of Asian Studies at The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. He has published extensively on premodern Japanese literature and visual culture.